Star England batter Joe Root said that he has “still got a lot to give” after yet another record-breaking performance that guided England to a one-day series win over the West Indies. England’s chase of 309 in Cardiff on Sunday was in dire straits at 2-2, with the hosts struggling at 133-5. But Root’s unbeaten 166 off 139 balls sealed a three-wicket win and an unassailable 2-0 lead with one match to play at the Oval on Tuesday as well.
“It’s a sign you’re getting old, having played as many games as that,” said Joe Root after becoming the first England batsman to go past 7,000 ODI runs.
Meanwhile, Root, also England’s record Test run-scorer and the top-ranked batsman in that format, stated that he remained as run-hungry as ever.
ALSO READ: “He is the most successful Indian Test captain” – Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli
“I want to give as much as I can for England for as long as I can,” he said. “I’ve still got a lot to give and a lot more runs in there and hopefully, an innings like that shows that. Until that desire, that want to get better every day, want to add to the group and want to be not out at the end of a chase like that, when that’s not a burning desire any more, it will be time to stop.”
“It doesn’t feel like that’s anywhere near the case at the moment and I’ll keep just trying to do my part in helping us win games and series down the line,” he added.
However, Harry Brook has overseen England’s first ODI series triumph since September 2023 after taking over as white-ball captain from Jos Buttler, who rarely had a full-strength squad to choose from during his time as skipper.
“I’ve played a huge amount of cricket with Jos and almost felt guilty that I wasn’t able to be there for him throughout a lot of his tenure,” said Root, who played just 19 ODIs between England’s 2019 World Cup triumph and their woeful 2023 title defence as priority was given to the Test side.
ALSO READ: “I did get a couple of hints” – AB de Villiers on Virat Kohli’s Test retirement
He added: “I want to play as much as I can for England. If I’m going to make the team better, then absolutely.”
Root, however, praised Harry Brook’s tactical decisions on the field after England won with seven balls to spare.
“As much as he’s an idiot away from cricket –- and I can say that because I’ve known him forever –- he’s very cricket intelligent,” said Joe Root. “He understands the game exceptionally well.”
